Encapsulation of bioactive compounds (monocaprin and monolaurin) into polymeric nanoparticles

Abstract

The dextran-covered poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymeric nanoparticles were prepared by a nanoprecipitation process for the encapsulation of monocaprin (MC) or monolaurin (ML). The concentration of PLA/MC or ML was varied to evaluate the best condition for preparation. The miscibility of various PLA/MC or ML blends was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. The result showed that at concentrations of 50/50 wt/wt, the PLA/ML blend was partly miscible and the nanoparticle suspension produced large amounts of macroscopic aggregates after nanoprecipitation. Conversely, the miscibility of PLA/MC blends progressively increased with increasing amounts of PLA. Therefore, the best concentration to encapsulate the MC was the PLA/MC 90/10 (wt/wt), according to the miscibility results. © 2018 Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.